to diagnose PTSD, since SMs sometimes trying to take advantage of the system and lie on their screening process.
The Department of Defense (DoD) utilize a PTSD checklist (PCL), which is a clinical screening tool, it has a variety of purpose, including; to identify those Soldiers members that may have some kind of PTSD issues, aiding in diagnostics assessment of PTSD, and monitoring changes in PTSD patient symptoms, for those Soldiers that has previously filled out one before. The PCL consist of a few questions where the SM, is being requested to answer questions associate to a situation on the past, and what are their feelings related to those situations that they experience, and base on their answer, they will be referral for further evaluations.
Depends on the score obtain by the SM on the PCL, it can be sent to three different locations within the medical care system. If their score is between 30-35 points, will be sent to the primary care doctor, when the score is between 36-44, will be sent to a specialist in pain or maybe for Traumatic Bain Injury (TBI), on the other hand, if their score is more than 45, it will be referral to the behavioral health professional (Weathers, F.W., Litz, B.T., Keane, T.M., Palmieri, P.A., Marx, B.P., & Schnurr, P.P. (2013).
Once the SM is referral to the behavioral health professional, the SM will be going to a series of process related to better diagnose PTSD. One of those process is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), it is a psychological test, covering more than 500 questions and takes approximately more than one hour to be completed, because this test is so critical to help on the identification of a possible PTSD patient, it needs to be managed, and interpreted b...
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... little planning is devote to the development of long-range initiatives to benefit the SMs, the population-based approach for this disorder by either any of the service branches, needs to be taking more in consideration. Each service branch has established their own prevention programs, just to make sure they are taking the necessary steps to deal with the issue, each branch trains their own mental health staff, and has their own programs and services for PTSD treatment.
The DoD has issued some directives and instructions that apply to all service branches, but implementation typically is at the discretion of each service branch’s surgeon general, installation commander, or even military treatment facility leaders. It give the impression that each branch of service is looking or searching to find the best business practices to deal with SMs and their PTSD issues.
One in five veterans from Afghanistan and Iraqi wars have been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event and mostly effects military veterans. The book Lone Survivor, written by Marcus Luttrell, is an eye witness account of the 2005 operation Red Wing that tells the harrowing story of SEAL Team 10. Throughout the book, Marcus hears voices in his head of his fallen teammates. Even today, Marcus wakes up in the middle of the night because of the terrible nightmares, which are symptoms of PTSD. There are a lot of ways to combat PTSD so our troops do not have to endure this hardship. Some of the ways to combat the disorder is to understand PTSD, detect it early, having family support and preventing it.
...t and seeing signs of improvement in their mental health (Edge, 2010). Ultimately, the current structure of the United States’ society under capitalism does not allow for an adequate solution to the social problem of the rise of PTSD among military members. Society is structured around individual and corporate interests, which does not leave room for the unique treatments required for PTSD. Unless capitalism is dismantled and a socialist society is created, which would dramatically change the current military structure and potentially reinstate the draft, soldiers will be forced to seek treatment from the neoconservative and liberal systems that offer inadequate treatment, if at all. As social workers, we must operate from the radical humanist perspective of structural social work and seek to help our military members from within the current system, for now.
According to Camara, Nathan and Puente (2000), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, commonly refered to as MMPI, is the most used researched and standardized psychometric for test for psychopathology and personality among adults. The MMPI-A is the version that was specifically designed to take on a different approach to personality test that targets adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years (Asendorpf, 2003). Using the approach among adolescents, psychologists can help in differential diagnosis, answer legal questions, formulate treatment plans and participate in therapeutic evaluation (Gass & Odland, 2014). From the perspective of a school psychologist, this
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form, or more commonly known as the MMPI-2-RF, is used to assess various components of personality and psychopathology (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2013). Developed by Yossef S. Ben-Porath, PhD, and Auke Tellegen, PhD, the MMPI-2-RF is a recently developed version of the MMPI-2 originally published 1943 by the University of Minnesota Press and distributed by Pearson Assessment. The University of Minnesota Press published the latest version of the MMPI-2, the MMPI-2-RF, in 2008. The MMPI-2-RF is comprised of 338 True-False items, typically taking 35-50 minutes to complete although there is no time limit. The MMPI-2-RF has different prices depending on which scoring and reporting option one chooses. The different kits available and its prices are the following: Q-global™ Web-based Scoring and Reporting ($175.00 - $230.00), Q-Local™ Software-based Scoring and Reporting (($175.00 - $230.00), Manual Scoring ($459.00), and Mail-in Scoring and Reporting ($175.00 - $235...
“Studies show that PTSD occurs in 1%-14% of the population. It can be diagnosed at any age, and can occ...
The investigators sought out potential subjects through referrals from psychiatric hospitals, counseling centers, and psychotherapists. All potential subjects were screened with a scripted interview and if they met all the inclusion criteria they met with an investigator who administered the Clinical-Administered PTSD Scale(CAPS) to provide an accurate diagnosis. In the end the study ended up with 12 subject, 10 females and 2 males with a mean age of 41.4, that met the criteria for PTSD with treatment resistant symptoms, which were shown with a CAPS score of greater than or equal to 50.
The current criteria for assessment of PTSD is only suitable if criterion A is met. Every symptom must be bound to the traumatic event through temporal and/or contextual evidence. The DSM-5 stipulates that to qualify, the symptoms must begin (criterion B or C) or worsen (symptom D and E) after the traumatic event. Even though symptoms must be linked to a traumatic event, this linking does not imply causality or etiology (Pai, 2017, p.4). The changes made with the DSM-5 included increasing the number of symptom groups from three to four and the number of symptoms from 17 to 20. The symptom groups are intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and alterations in arousal and
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic event (Riley). A more in depth definition of the disorder is given by Doctor’s Nancy Piotrowski and Lillian Range, “A maladaptive condition resulting from exposure to events beyond the realm of normal human experience and characterized by persistent difficulties involving emotional numbing, intense fear, helplessness, horror, re-experiencing of trauma, avoidance, and arousal.” People who suffer from this disease have been a part of or seen an upsetting event that haunts them after the event, and sometimes the rest of their lives. There are nicknames for this disorder such as “shell shock”, “combat neurosis”, and “battle fatigue” (Piotrowski and Range). “Battle fatigue” and “combat neurosis” refer to soldiers who have been overseas and seen disturbing scenes that cause them anxiety they will continue to have when they remember their time spent in war. It is common for a lot of soldiers to be diagnosed with PTSD when returning from battle. Throughout the history of wars American soldiers have been involved in, each war had a different nickname for what is now PTSD (Pitman et al. 769). At first, PTSD was recognized and diagnosed as a personality disorder until after the Vietnam Veterans brought more attention to the disorder, and in 1980 it became a recognized anxiety disorder (Piotrowski and Range). There is not one lone cause of PTSD, and symptoms can vary from hallucinations to detachment of friends and family, making a diagnosis more difficult than normal. To treat and in hopes to prevent those who have this disorder, the doctor may suggest different types of therapy and also prescribe medication to help subside the sympt...
Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of possible preventative measures and treatment options. All of these findings are backed by extensive research through media, web, and journal references.
Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one wink because every time you close your eyes you are forced to relive memories from the past that you are trying to bury deep. This is what happens to the unfortunate men and women who are struggling with PTSD. Veterans that are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder deserve the help they need.
Originally, the PCL was developed by the National Center for PTSD in 1990. The scale assessed for the presence of and level of severity of each of the diagnostic criterion for PTSD, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV). Using a 5-point Likert Scale, individuals rated 17 items on a scale of 1-5, 1 being “not at all” and 5 being “extremely”. The original version of the PCL came in three different forms, the PCL-Military (PCL-M), PCL-Civilian (PCL-C), or the PCL-Specific (PCL-S). The only difference between the three versions is the way the form of trauma is referenced in the items on the scale that mention it.
The diagnosis of Post –Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) involves clusters of symptoms. They include persistent re-experiencing of the trauma, avoidance of traumatic reminders/ general numbing of emotional responsiveness, and hyper-arousal (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). In order for the possible diagnosis of PTSD the individual needs to have exposed to a
"PTSD: National Center for PTSD Home." National Center for PTSD. VA Health Care, 1 Jan.
...h prescription drugs to cope with the intensity of PTSD, but there is one entity that truly has trumped PTSD when anybody else couldn't cause a dent. Anthony Swofford put his war stories in front of him whether than behind him. He challenged himself to get a degree and publish his experience for the world to read. Now Swoffford is everything but a victim to his enemy. Other American soldiers are haunted by the negative psychological effects resulting in the harsh symptoms of PTSD. In result, Doctors continue to spend large quantities of the governments money to find a cure, but maybe if instead they were to stop analyzing results and focus on the facts, the results in dealing with PTSD may change. Perhaps informing the ill with these facts will allow them to find their own way, just as Swofford did. Otherwise these entities will remain unknown and unanalyzed.
Communication is critical to any organization and is necessary in every aspect especially in a military. Communication plays a role in Soldier development, peer to peer relations, Chain of command management, and virtually every aspect of a military operations. Commanders require it the most so that they can execute large scale operations without flaw and that alone requires ceaseless effective communication. If soldiers are informed and engaged, communications with other units are likely to be robust as well.